Tips: Sustaining a Team Project

As you lead a service team, there are valuable lessons you can put into practice in order to sustain your team and continue momentum.

On your own and with your teammates, consider the aspects of a good team activity. Use these tactics to continue to build your community throughout the summer.

Questions to consider with your team:

In your experience, what makes motivating teams motivating?

In your experience, what makes un-motivating teams un-motivating?

Good Practices to employ with your team:

Set clear expectations and achievable goals.

Routinely tell stories about what these goals mean & why your team members in particular matter for reaching these goals.

Strategize with team members (ask for suggestions, feedback on process).

Give all team members meaningful decisions to make about how they will meet their goals.

Motivate people into action. We’re all naturally afraid when trying something new, but we learn much more from getting on the bike and falling off and trying again than we’ll ever learn from talking about riding the bike.

Allow your team to make mistakes. Evaluate often so you can learn from your failures as well as successes.

Probe: When presented with problems and questions, ask for suggestions and solutions (rather than dwelling on problems or giving the solution yourself).

Be open and honest. Share stories about your past failures as well as accomplishments. People are more receptive when they can learn through your failures as well as your success stories.